Tainted Gold
by Aina Song
Summary: The pain of broken promises is not so easily mended...
1. Belong to Another

**Title:** Tainted Gold

**By:** Aina Song

**Fandom(s):** Gundam Wing/Gravitation

**Genre:** Yaoi

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warning(s):** Language; Angst; Saap; Song Lyrics; Rumored Death; Slight OOC.

**Pairing(s):** To be revealed as story develops. (Trust me, you'll appreciate it better that way.)

**Reviews:** Yes, please.

**Author's Note:** Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money.

**Teaser:** The pain of broken promises is not so easily mended…

**Chapter One - Belong to Another**

_Touko de me o hikarasete_

_Mezameru mono-tachi matte iru_

_Yoru no jouheki sasowarete_

_Utsurisumu mure no nukegara ni_

_Deguchi no nai_

_Shougeki ni taeru tsumori nara_

_Kuzureru hodo_

_Itsuwaru o misete_

_Ima mo todokanu hikari no yukue_

_Azayaka ni mau omoi o egakou_

_Michibiku kotoba ga koboreteshimawanu you ni_

_Utsuru toki o osorenai de_

_Deguchi no nai_

_Kuzureochiru_

_Umarekawari no anata yo_

_Hitori hohoemanai de hitomi o irodoru_

_Nozonda sekai ga totsuzen hai ni natte mo_

_Kiseki wa mada megurikuru_

_Todokanu hikari no yukue_

_Azayaka ni mau omoi o egakou_

_Michibiku kotoba ga koboreteshimawanu you ni_

_Utsuru toki o osorenai de_

_Sotto dakishimete zutto tsukamaete_

_Motto kokoro made kowasu you ni_

_**- "Sleepless Beauty"**_

~o~

"Mr. Seguchi? Mr. Seguchi."

After a moment, the young blond looked up. The doctor, a middle-aged man whose name he'll likely forget after the day was out, offered Touma an encouraging smile. "You're clear to go in, now."

"Tell me," he pleaded with forced calm. "How is he?"

"Aside from some emotional trauma, he's just fine."

"No physical harm? No bodily damage?"

"After the boy finally calmed down enough to let us have a look at him, it was simple to determine that nothing of the sort had been inflicted upon him."

"And you're quite sure," Touma insisted.

The doctor nodded.

The blond youth followed along a quiet corridor, pausing before a door and waiting until the doctor allowed him the privacy to go in. Taking a slow breath, he let himself into the room and closed the door behind him. As he had requested, it was a small room with only the one bed, but was comfortably spacious for its size and had a window with a full view of the park across the street from the building.

He stood a moment with the door behind him, eyes falling upon the single bed and the blankets thereof gathered together in a small mound. Finally he let his feet take him across the room, sitting himself in a modest chair that had been set by the bedside.

"Eiri…"

The mound shifted, and after another minute a mop of beautiful golden hair peeked out from beneath them. The head rolled on its side, and stark yellow eyes cast their fearful gaze upon him. "M-Mister Seguchi?"

"Yes, Eiri," he answered solemnly. "I haven't left you."

"I-I'm sorry, Mister Seguchi." The younger blond pleaded, looking as though he would cry again. "I didn't mean to… I d-didn't want-"

"No," Touma gently argued. "I told you before, Eiri. It wasn't your fault. You only reacted on instinct, to keep from getting hurt."

"But I never-"

"I know." He sat forth in his chair, carefully placing a hand to his young friend's shoulder. "And I'm sorry."

"You?" The boy's other hand slipped out from beneath the covers, lightly capturing Touma's fingers with his own. "But you didn't do anything."

Touma turned his aqua-blue gaze aside. "Eiri… It was by my recommendation that you even met that man in the first place. I should've known better than to let you get so close to him, without first checking into him."

"I-I liked him, Touma."

He turned back, offering a kind smile his heart did not echo. "I know you did, Eiri. And, like you, I thought he was honest enough to return those feelings."

"But…" And the younger blond's stark yellow eyes began to fill again with tears, "I still like him. He was never like that before. I-I don't want him to be…"

Touma Seguchi quickly gathered the young boy into his embrace, whispering for the better part of the next hour words to sooth the adolescent's mournful guilt. When his fiancée arrived some time later by virtue of a specially-hired jet, Eiri had at last fallen asleep. Touma greeted her at the door, explained everything in as much detail as he dared and then, after humbly apologizing once more, left her to visit with her brother.

~o~

"_Hey, here's an interesting question. If you could drop everything and start a completely different life for yourself, what would you do?"_

"_That __**is**__ an interesting question. Who are you asking?"_

"_All of us. C'mon, we're drunk enough. But I absolutely refuse to go first."_

_There was an exchanging of glances, until finally one quietly answered, "I think I would've liked to return to a life of study. But wishing that only makes me want to regret why my studies were interrupted in the first place, and that is something I cannot do."_

"_I agree."_

"_Same here."_

"_I think the point is to pick out a new life for yourself from this day forward," another put in._

"_This coming from the guy who never knew anything outside paramilitarism," the first smirked. "What would __**you**__ like to do differently?"_

"_I'm doing it. Protecting the world honestly and out in the open, instead of secretly and against the law."_

"_You __**would**__ say that."_

"_That's what you get for asking," a fourth laughed in that quiet way of his._

"_Shut up," the first commanded as he reached for the third bottle of brandy they had been passing around. "I suppose you're going to give me the same answer he did, right?"_

"_Actually, no. I'd like to try living in Africa for a while."_

"_Why, so the lions there can eat off your hand if you get too close? I can see you daring that."_

"_You're one to talk," the second spoke again. "Out of morbid curiosity, what would your answer to the question be?"_

"_That depends."_

"_On what?"_

_With a smirk, the first turned to a fifth member of their circle. "Q? You haven't answered yet. What about you?"_

_After a moment of thinking, the last replied, "I'd like to break into the music business. Maybe see Japan's pop culture, and witness how it's done there."_

_The first gave a wide grin, turning back to the others. "And there you have it. We'd start in on the music together."_

_Beside him, the last stared. "You'd really come with me?"_

"_Shame on you for thinking I wouldn't, Q. Hey, but we'd need new names for ourselves. Got one in mind?"_

"_Well… I've always liked the name-"_

~o~

"Touma?"

He slowly came awake, blinking his eyes open. Standing before him was a slender brunette, his fiancée. "Mika."

The woman gave an exhausted smile, "You fell asleep in the recliner again?"

The blond looked down upon himself, concluding that her words were true. "I'm afraid so," he answered, looking up again. "I thought you would've preferred to spend the night at the hospital with Eiri."

"I would have, but the staff there insisted they had no room for me."

Touma stood, a slight frown beginning to crease his brow. "Shall I make a few calls for you?"

"No," she shrugged. "With the state Eiri is in, I think they might be right. Mind if I crash in the guest room instead?"

"Feel free. Give me another minute, and I'll help you bring in your things."

So she claimed one room, and he another. Such had been and would always be their arrangement. For, though they were engaged to marry, they were not in love. Half a year before, they had met. Soon they had become friends, and he had tried very hard not to betray her trust in him. And so, when nearly a month ago Mika's father had decided to arrange for her to be married to a man she knew she could never care for, she had come to Touma.

And Touma, a man whose secret heart was always kinder than even Mika would ever guess, had devised a plan to help. He, himself, would declare her _his_ fiancée, and Mika's father would have no choice but to call off the other engagement. He provided Mika with a home of her own with a guest room for him, and in his home there was always a room available for her. When necessary, they would play out their roles as a happy couple to her father. Any other time, they both were free to live out their lives as they wished.

The single price to be paid for the brilliance of this plan… Touma would eventually need to give Mika a child. She was the daughter of a traditional family, and as the eldest it was she who would be expected to provide an heir to the Uesugi shrine.

Touma had been vastly relieved that Mika had agreed to wait some time for that part. She was not ready to become a mother, she had said. But, though Touma had agreed that fatherhood could wait, that had not been his most pressing reason.

Touma Seguchi's heart had and would always belong to another…


	2. Winner

**Title:** Tainted Gold

**By:** Aina Song

**Fandom(s):** Gundam Wing/Gravitation

**Genre:** Yaoi

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warning(s):** Language; Angst; Saap; Song Lyrics; Rumored Death; Slight OOC.

**Pairing(s):** To be revealed as story develops. (Trust me, you'll appreciate it better that way.)

**Reviews:** Yes, please.

**Author's Note:** Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money.

**Teaser:** The pain of broken promises is not so easily mended…

**Chapter Two - Winner**

After another week or two, young Eiri's mentality had stabilized enough for him to be allowed to leave the hospital. Up until that point, Touma had kept the police and their questions at bay. It was a great feat that he still managed to keep the press clueless to the situation as well. But now, the authorities were insisting upon a statement.

When the police knocked upon Eiri's door, Touma and Mika were already there, one sitting upon her brother's mattress, the other quietly waiting in a chair. One of Touma's lawyers stood behind his shoulder - for he was nothing if not cautious.

Eiri's doctor was there as well, overseeing it all, and it was he that opened the door. It was a lieutenant, who introduced himself as McCoy and shook hands with the doctor, Touma, and even Touma's lawyer. "I certainly hope now's an appropriate time…"

"This may very well be the only chance you have, Lieutenant," Touma quietly agreed. "Thus, I'd choose my questions with every caution."

The man's eyes widened at the veiled threat, but the doctor was quick to step in. "Though Mister Uesugi's mental stability seems to be recovering, we'd appreciate avoiding any circumstance which might retard his progress."

McCoy's gaze shifted from the doctor, to Touma's lawyer, to the dark look hidden in Touma's eyes, and then back again. He nodded that he understood. "Mister Uesugi," he carefully greeted, bringing a small notepad and pen from his pocket. "Do you know why I've come to you today?"

There was a moment of silence, during which nearly everyone began to believe he would not be answered. But then Eiri lifted his stark yellow gaze upon the balding man in uniform and spoke in a very quiet and solemn voice.

"Yes."

"I know a great deal of this might be difficult for you, young man. But anything you can give me will be of great help."

"I can't."

The lieutenant quirked his brow, "You can't?"

"I'm afraid it's true," the doctor informed. "We believe that Mister Uesugi's subconscious could be suppressing some of the finer details of what has happened. A handful of initial tests confirm this."

McCoy looked somewhat indecisive for a second, but then nodded again. "I'm sorry to hear that, young man. I didn't realize it was so serious." He sighed, "But I do require a statement. If you can, Mister Uesugi, would you please share anything you might remember? I regret to say that I can't provide you with a solid plea of self-defense, otherwise."

Eiri lowered his gaze to his hands folded atop his lap. The room grew very still while, slowly, the teenage blond recalled everything he could. Visiting Yuki Kitazawa within his apartment… The half-empty bottle of red wine which had knocked over… The two other men who'd appeared and had spoken in a fast English that had been difficult for Eiri to follow…

Every face waited expectantly, but after a brief pause Eiri shook his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Can you remember nothing else," Mika gently wondered.

The young teen's gaze never lifted from his hands. "I remember… One of them had a gun tucked into the front of his jeans. I could see its grip."

"And then," Lieutenant McCoy softly prompted.

Eiri shook his head once more, "Mister Seguchi was there, holding me and telling me I didn't do anything wrong."

From the other side of the bed, Touma stared at the younger blond. Up until the critical moment, it seemed Eiri had no trouble recalling that day. But that he had jumped from a last second of fearful clarity to Touma's belated rescue…

McCoy spoke again, and Touma realized he was expected to answer. Blinking quickly to clear his head, he asked, "Pardon?"

The man repeated himself. "How was it that you arrived when you did?"

"After learning of my misjudgment toward Kitazawa's credibility, my reaction was purely instinctive. Eiri Uesugi is a younger brother of my fiancée, Miss Mika Uesugi. And as such, I am extremely protective of the both of them."

Lieutenant McCoy seemed taken aback by this revelation. "If I may, sir, you don't look much older than Mister Uesugi."

"How dare you-!" Mika started.

But Touma quickly cut her off, his calm voice belying the hardened look in his aqua-blue eyes. "My misfortune is that I only appear so young. In truth, I am seven years older than Eiri, and merely one year younger than Mika." He stood, pulling his drivers' license and green card out of his wallet and holding them up as proof. After the lieutenant nodded in apology, he replaced them within his pocket but did not yet sit back down. "I am from a family which thrived on careful, successful, businesses. When I brought Eiri into New York with me to continue his studies, I tried to find him the very best tutor available. Therefore, I am entirely at fault for not having checked more deeply into Mister Kitazawa's records."

Behind him, his lawyer finally spoke up. "Mister Seguchi… you don't truly believe you might have seen this coming in time to prevent it, do you?"

Touma stepped away, giving the room his back as he gazed out through the window. His hand fisted at his side, before he recalled himself and let his fingers fall loose once more. He took a breath, "I have at my call a classified number of informants. At the time, I had only asked a routine check on Kitazawa. Yet something seemed amiss. As I had no concrete evidence, I tried to let my uneasiness go. But then Eiri began speaking of how close they were getting-"

"I didn't know!"

Closing his eyes, lowering his head, Touma answered, "And you did _nothing_ wrong. Remember that." Returning his attention to the window, he continued. "One of my informants picked up on my discomfort and went ahead with a more thorough background check. The moment I read page one of his report, I raced out of the front door of my home and tried to get to Eiri first."

"And what were the contents of that report?" McCoy asked.

Sighing, Touma turned to his lawyer with a slight nod. While the man solemnly retrieved a manila envelope from his briefcase, the blond waved a hand to his future wife. Mika understood immediately, quickly taking young Eiri into her embrace and turning the both of them away.

Not three seconds later, McCoy and the doctor were staring at the contents of the envelope in disgust. But before either could say anything, Touma swiftly cleared his throat in warning. With a telling glance toward those who would become his family, he very softly commented, "I would very much appreciate that you not speak aloud of what you have seen."

They took the hint. Silently, the lieutenant replaced the files into their envelope, and Touma's lawyer returned them to his briefcase. Only then did Touma softly call to Mika that it was safe again for them to rejoin the conversation.

McCoy slapped his notepad shut and stuck it back into his pocket. "I think I've heard enough. I'm very sorry, for all of you, but I thank you for your time. I promise to see what I can do to keep Mister Uesugi's name untarnished."

Touma let the man shake his hand, and waited until the doctor escorted his lawyer and McCoy out of the room. Behind him, he heard Mika heave a great sigh. "I will be so glad when all of this is over…"

"As will I," he assured as he returned to his chair.

"T-Touma?"

As the boy so rarely addressed him by his first name, it was always quite affective whenever it did happen. "Yes, Eiri?"

The younger blond finally looked up, pain lacing his stark yellow eyes. "When may we return home to Japan?"

Touma caught Mika's worried glance, and he offered a small smile to comfort the both of them. "Soon. I promise you, I will not allow this to stretch on longer than absolutely necessary."

~o~

_Careful hands caressed a well-polished antique violin, then lifted it for a closer look. A voice softly sang under its breath in a heady tenor well beyond its natural bass tone._

"_What is that you're humming?" The other wondered distractedly._

"_I dunno," the first answered truthfully, still examining the instrument in his hands. "Can't think of the words for it yet. This the same Paganini replica you had back when we first met?"_

"_Unfortunately, no. __**That**__ one was lost, before the wars ended. Are you telling me you're making that up as you go? It sounds quite unique."_

"_Wait 'til you hear the completed rendition," the first smirked. He set the violin down again, coming across the floor to sit upon the edge of the other's desk. "What'cha doin'?"_

_The other looked up with the hint of a smile, "You really want to know?"_

"_Yeah, I really wanna know."_

"_I'm looking over the final figures of the year, so that everything will be in order by January."_

_The first made a face, "Ew."_

"_What?"_

"_Boring."_

_Chuckling, the other set aside the files he had been looking through, giving his undivided attention. "Very well, I'll take the rest of the afternoon off."_

_The first stared, "Seriously?"_

"_Of course."_

"_But the company-"_

"_Can manage without me for a handful of hours. Especially when I have more pressing matters to tend to." He smiled, "Now. What would you like to do together?"_

_The grin that spread across the first's face was already making his decision worthwhile. "Get your jet ready. I heard about this amusement park in Japan. They call it 'Odaiba', supposed to be really great…"_

~o~

He shot up in his bed, heart beating erratically. He swallowed a large gasp of air, willing his breath to slow down again. His spine shivering, he lifted an unsteady hand to pass its fingers through sweat-dampened strands of pale gold. Swearing, he threw himself back down upon the mattress and pillows, casting an arm over his eyes. And he did not bother to halt the burning tears that left their scalding paths down the sides of his face.

"Duo…"

~o~

_(one year later…)_

Touma muttered a foul profanity as he entered his very large apartment, slamming a folder down upon his coffee table. Inside were numerous pages of sheet music, every one of them filled with the songs he had tirelessly devoted one at a time. Once again, he had met with some music recording company or other - he had long ceased trying to remember their names - and once again, his music had been shot down.

"Your instruments of choice are highly unpopular," they had said. "Your style is simply far too slow and depressing."

Right about now, he would very much like to strangle them by their overly expensive silk neckties.

"Knock, knock."

He spun on his heel, finding with much surprise a young woman standing in his doorway, remembering too late that he had left the door itself open. Her curly hair was an unusual platinum-purple and fell just below her shoulders. She wore a white baby tee with a slash of red falling diagonally across the front, and red denim jeans which bore a thick strip of black across one knee and a hole in the other. She was barefoot, her toe nails painted the same color as her hair.

"Hi, there!" She greeted cheerily, her dark eyes sparkling. "My husband and I just moved in across the hall. I saw you come in, and I thought I'd welcome myself to the building. My name's Noriko Ukai."

"Touma Seguchi," he answered politely. "Forgive me, but I'm not exactly in the mood to entertain guests at the moment."

She pouted playfully, not at all deterred. "Bad day?"

"An understatement. But, yes."

"Mind if I ask what went wrong?"

"Corporate narrow-mindedness," he revealed with bored disgust. Sighing, he motioned with his hand, "Come on in, then. I'd like to shut that door eventually, and it would be rude to do so with you standing right there."

With a pretty little giggle, she closed the door behind her and came further into the apartment's sitting room, which often doubled as his office. She took in his classic furniture, his stereo center; she gave a curious cock of her head at the violin in its glass case, hanging securely upon the wall. And then she was marveling at the black grand piano standing to one corner of the room, fingers brushing lightly over the keys. "Do you play?"

Modesty recalled that it would be rude to brag, and so he admitted only, "A little."

But it seemed she was able to read between the lines. "You're that good, huh? Me too."

Touma blinked, "You play the piano?"

"I know I don't look it," Noriko laughed, motioning toward her own outfit. She sat down upon the small leather bench. "I prefer the electric keyboard and synthesizer, actually. So many more options, that way." Looking up, she added, "That's why I convinced my husband to move here. All those record companies; there's just got to be someone out there that'll appreciate real talent."

"Good luck," he scoffed, sitting down next to her. "I've been in this city for eighteen months, and they've yet to take notice of me."

"Is that what happened today?"

Nodding, he turned and pointed toward the fated portfolio atop his coffee table. "See that? They rejected every one of those songs."

"Oh, wow. You do lyrics?" When he nodded again, she bit her lip thoughtfully. "I focus on the music. Feel like experimenting on some collaboration?"

"Fire away."

She stared, "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

Smiling, Touma shook his head. "Go ahead, if you dare. Have at it."

Noriko quirked a slim purple eyebrow - either it was all natural, or she was extremely devoted to the dye job - then she slid away from the bench and stepped over to the table. Settling upon her knees to the floor, she opened the file. It took only three seconds for her to let out a surprised giggle. "I wondered why you agreed so casually. Every page is copyrighted!"

"Tagged," he corrected with an easy smile. "As works in progress, I need to be able to update them regularly. They are each protected with a code that only the Copyright Offices and I know, so that no other may legally pass off an altered version as their own."

"Wow," she breathed. "You sound like you'd thought of everything."

"Everything but how to get those asses to listen to me…"

"Okay, then." Noriko cracked her knuckles in a dramatic manner, "Let's see what we can throw together."

Over the next few months, Touma found a lively companion in Noriko Ukai. She was spunky, witty, and very knowledgeable with her music. She also proved a wonderful conversationalist. Her accounting of how she had met her new husband provided a very interesting afternoon. And when Touma had at last gotten around to confessing the ruse he had devised for Mika Uesugi's sake, it had seemed only natural to invite her along to the "wedding", once it had finally taken place.

Their collaboration had evolved from experimental to concrete. They decided together that they were determined to shove those corporates' stuffed shirts where the sun would never shine. But with her wit, and his sharp ear for good rhythm, it did not take long for them to realize that something was still missing.

"Do you sing?" Mika asked one afternoon.

Touma shook his head with an embarrassed chuckle. "I once had a lover who'd told me my face is that of an angel, which made it such a painful disappointment that my voice can sound like a cat screeching atop a fence."

"I'll take that as a 'no'," she laughed. She did not bother to mention that it had been the very first time he had ever spoken of a past lover, by now suspecting that the past was just where he wanted to leave such information. "I'm only tolerable myself. Probably best for back-up. And two can be hell to pass off as a group. I hate to say it, Touma, but we're going to need to bring in another member."

"I'm not about to argue, so long as we're careful about it." He was currently pacing his living room floor, barely noticing anymore that his coffee table, sofa, and piano were littered with sheet music. "But we're in Japan, in a city thriving on pop culture. The difficulty will come in finding someone with the right voice for our style of music."

"Style?"

He let a small smile curl across his mouth. "Once we determine what that is, I mean."

"Here's an idea. Why don't you get your people to find someone?"

"My 'people', as you so cunningly put it, are all employed by me as informants for the utmost serious assignments."

"Well, I hereby declare our situation serious to the utmost," she giggled. "If they're as good as you say, we shouldn't have anything to worry about."

~o~

_He stood outside their front door, having returned from another long day at the office. His hand hovered over the doorknob, yet he did not go in, his mouth tugging in a fond smile. His lover was singing again, just loud enough to be heard through the door. He listened awhile, finding himself pressing his ear closer to the wood of the door whenever his lover would cut off for a long moment before starting anew._

_Feeling he'd eavesdropped long enough, he finally pushed the door open and let himself into their home. "What are you doing?"_

_The other rolled to his stomach on their sitting room floor, giving the first a happy grin as he waved a sheet of paper over his head. "Hey, Q! Look at this, I think I did it."_

"_Did what?" He asked, setting his briefcase aside and lowering himself down to the floor beside the other, never minding the wrinkles he was undoubtedly pressing into his finely-tailored suit. When his lover set the paper down between them, his eyes grew amused as they read the handwritten lines. "'It crumbles apart/ You've been reborn/ Your eyes light up without a smile. Even if the world you want suddenly turns to ashes/ There will be miracles…'" He looked up, staring at his lover, "Where did you come up with these?"_

"_No frickin' clue," the other smirked. "You know that song I've been fiddlin' with for so long?"_

"_I can't get it out of my head," he smiled. "It seems as though you're tinkering with it every time I turn around."_

"_Take me as I am, or move on," his lover lightly punched his shoulder. "It's your fault, you know."_

_That surprised another soft chuckle, "Is it? How's that?"_

"_Damn song's been stuck in my head, ever since you voiced an interest in movin' to Japan."_

"_Japan?" His smile grew fond, and he pulled his lover against him as he rolled to his back, tugging the other along until his lover was sprawled atop his chest. "Is our life together so monotonous, you need to imagine another one for us at the same time?"_

"_Hell, no," the other laughed. "I wouldn't give this up for anything!"_

_He let his lover kiss him, drunk on the taste of the other's tongue playing with his own. But before it could grow, he lightly shoved the other away. "Wait a minute. Did you just tell me to move on?"_

"_Uh-uh," his lover frowned playfully. "I said, 'take me as I am, or move on'."_

_A slow smirk crossed his mouth. "And you're giving me a choice?"_

_The other's eyes flashed. And the first found himself the happy victim of his lover's vengeful attack._

~o~

"Touma, your phone is ringing."

He frowned down at the page of sheet music he was currently revising, replying distractedly, "Would you answer it for me, Noriko?"

"Sure." She navigated her way around the mess of sheet music, file folders, and one keyboard on her way to the dining room wall. Lifting the phone from its hook, she pressed a button and held it up to her ear. "Hello," she playfully answered in her best secretary voice. "You've reached the residence of Touma Seguchi; how may I help you today?"

A small smile quirked his mouth as he tried to go back to what he had been doing.

"Oh hey, Ms. Mika; it's good to hear from you. Hey, you don't sound too good, did something happen? Slow down, I can't understand you…"

Alarmed, Touma forgot his work and stood. The mess around his chair had piled slightly more than anywhere else, but he cleared it quickly with very little trouble as he stumbled over to Noriko's side. "Let me talk to her?"

Nodding, she spoke once more into the receiver. "I'm going to hand you over to Touma, okay? One sec." She handed him the phone, whispering, "She's really upset about something, but she won't tell me about it."

"Thank you," he mouthed, then waited until she had returned to their paperwork before bringing the receiver up to his own ear. "Mika?"

"Oh, Touma!" Her voice cried from the other end. "It's Eiri-"

"_Eiri_? What happened; is he all right?"

"I-I don't know. He says he's fine, but… He just doesn't seem himself anymore. He doesn't smile or laugh; he ostracizes himself from our father; h-he ignores me when I try to talk to him. He won't even open up to Tatsuha the way he used to, and he's… I caught him smoking! Touma, I'm worried. What if this is because of what happened in New York?"

He sighed, secretly fearing the same. "Mika, I want to you listen to me. No matter what happens from here on, we must never forget that he had always looked to us for support. He knows that we love him and will always be there for him."

"But-"

"Please, listen. Before I first came to Japan, I had a few comrades in what I used to do. Of these men, one devoted himself only to his work, and another was quite antisocial." He allowed himself a small smile at the memory, "Yet with time, even they soon came around. It often required a great deal of patience, and there were days when all our efforts seemed for naught. But in the end, every struggle had been worth it."

"And… You think we should try the same thing with Eiri?"

"Of course."

A pause. "No matter how long it takes?"

"Yes, Mika. Patience shows its most rewarding results, only if the trials are many."

After another few seconds of reassurance, she had finally calmed down enough to hang up and let him get back to his work. However, before he could return to his mess and his chair, his cell phone rang. Noriko giggled at the frustrated expression on his face, helping him to dig through the sheet music to find the thing. "Ha!" She declared, tossing it over.

Shaking his head, he flipped open the cell phone and lifted it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Winner."


	3. Here I Am

**Title:** Tainted Gold

**By:** Aina Song

**Fandom(s):** Gundam Wing/Gravitation

**Genre:** Yaoi

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warning(s):** Language; Angst; Saap; Song Lyrics; Rumored Death; Slight OOC.

**Pairing(s):** To be revealed as story develops. (Trust me, you'll appreciate it better that way.)

**Reviews:** Yes, please.

**Author's Note:** Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money.

**Teaser:** The pain of broken promises is not so easily mended…

**Chapter Three - Here I Am**

Touma's aqua-blue eyes hardened. "How did you get this number?"

Noriko looked up in surprise, having never heard him speak in such a cold tone before. Motioning that it would probably be best if she waited in her apartment across the hall, she quietly let herself out the front door.

Touma locked it behind her, feeling suddenly angry that the easy mood of the day had been ruined twice in three minutes. "How did you get this number," he repeated. "I took every precaution that it could not be traced by any of you."

"Is that so?"

"Quite obviously, I'd underestimated _one_ of you." He fisted his hand at his side, "What do you want? I seem to recall demanding never to hear from you again."

"I apologized most profusely for what happened, and I'll do so again if you insist. But that is not why I've called."

"If your reason doesn't come to standard, I'm warning you here and now that I'll hang up this phone, drop this identity, and disappear more thoroughly in the very near future."

There was brief pause, lasting just long enough to test Touma's rapidly fraying patience. Then, very solemnly, "He's alive."

Touma's heart missed several beats at once, and then began thudding against his chest. He took an unsteady breath. "I don't believe you…"

"Winner, please. Listen to me. What you believe to have happened is mistaken."

"Don't lie to me! He died! They told me-"

"Their diagnosis was too hasty. It happens. His pulse failed for several seconds en route to the hospital, but they were able to revive him."

"If any of this is true, why wasn't I told? Why did it take so long for someone to contact me?" _Why wouldn't __**he**__ have come to me himself_, Touma's despairing thought rang in the back of his mind.

"Even if I hadn't known you for so long, I can already predict that you're not going to like my answer."

"Chang," he warned through clenched teeth.

A sigh, "He asked me not to tell you."

Feeling as though his entire world had frozen over with those few words, Touma tightened his grip around his cell phone so that he would not drop it. "You're lying again…"

"I'm not. I've no right to tell you this, but after the accident there was barely anything of him left. He insisted he couldn't let you see him like that, so he took the most drastic measure possible to ensure that you wouldn't try to seek him out before he was ready."

_That sounds like him_. "But it still took you far too long to tell me this. I'd convinced myself that I had lost him forever. And now, you expect me to believe that he's been alive this whole time? You're asking a great deal more from me than you deserve."

"I know. But-"

"I'm hanging up now."

"Winner, wait! Damn it, not yet!"

Sighing, he brought the cell once again to his ear. "What is it?"

"The other reason I called. He's looking for you."

Yet again, Touma's heart began to pound within his chest. "What?"

"It took forever for him to be released from that hospital, but the very first thing he said was that he'd made a promise to follow you anywhere, so… He's been missing since last November. All his records have been wiped clean; I don't know exactly where he is just now. But you and I know how very determined he can be when he wants something."

"He's… here in Japan?"

"I believe so. And, Winner? I feel I should warn you - don't expect to recognize him the very first moment you see him."

And then Touma finally got his wish, as the connection on the other end was at last cut short. He brought his cell phone away from his ear, glaring at it in frustration before letting it fall from his hand. It hit the carpet with a few soft thumbs before sliding under the coffee table. With a sudden shout, he threw out his fist, knowing only a little satisfaction in the pain he felt as his knuckles collided with the wall.

Bringing his hand away, observing the broken skin and blossoming bruises, he clenched his jaw and sank to his knees on the floor. The pain in his hand began to shudder up his arm, and he could vaguely hear Noriko's worried voice on the other side of the locked door, but he ignored them both for the greater hurt within his chest.

It was a lie. It had to be.

_He_ wasn't coming here. Touma would never see _him_ again…

~o~

"_Q…?"_

"_Mm?"_

"_You awake?"_

_The other chuckled, opening his eyes. "I wouldn't be able to answer you if I wasn't."_

"_You could be talkin' in your sleep."_

"_To the best of my knowledge, that's never happened before." He glanced toward their alarm clock, and then gave his lover a quietly considering look. "It's nearly four-thirty; shouldn't you be getting ready for your trip?"_

_The first was hovering over the other on his elbows, their bodies comfortably lining each other under the sheets. "Yeah, but I wanted to kiss you goodbye first. And it would be like stealing if you were asleep the whole time."_

"_I see," the other smiled. Reaching up, he cupped the back of the other's neck and pulled him down. Their mouths met with a hunger that had always been shared between the two of them, and it was with great reluctance that they eventually pulled away. "Go on, now. You've been waiting for months for this trip; you wouldn't want to miss your flight."_

"_You sure you can't come with us?"_

"_I'm very sorry, and I wish I could. I'll miss you terribly while you're away, but don't think I won't be waiting for you when you get back."_

"_Okay…"_

_The other offered a gentle smile, teasingly adding, "Just so long as Wufei keeps his word to look after you, and you remind him from me to keep his hands off."_

_With a shout, the first tackled him under the sheets._

~o~

A handful of weeks had passed since that ominous phone call, and the bandages wrapped around Touma's knuckles still reminded him of the details of its conversation. A number of his best informants had been put on the alert for anyone who might be showing a suspicious interest in Touma or his whereabouts. If his perception of what had happened had indeed been falsified, and… _he_… was now searching for him to fulfill their promise, then Touma had much facing up to do with the decisions he had been making.

Then came the day he and Noriko would be auditioning a number of singers to find the one that might join their group. Touma was very dedicatedly distracting himself, helping Noriko to rid his apartment of its most recent clutter. His coffee table was cleared, the sheet music removed from atop his piano, and his floor vacuumed. Noriko had taken her keyboard back across the hall, as they had agreed the piano would be enough for simple auditions. And because Touma's hand was still mending, she had also agreed to provide the music for those of the auditions that might need it.

_*buzz!*_

And there was the first hopeful now.

Noriko hopped to her feet in that wonderfully spunky way of hers, disappearing for a minute or two to answer the door and coming with another young woman behind her. Touma willed himself to focus on the task at hand, perusing briefly over the few pages of personal information the woman had needlessly brought with her. "This will be a very informal audition. All we need from you today is to hear how you sound."

In her case, looks had not been deceiving. The woman had a very shy manner about her, and the voice to match it. Not enough power in her diaphragm to charge a 20-watt bulb. The next several auditions were much the same. Men, women; too soft, too loud… One young man even had orange punk hair and far too many piercings to count.

"Oh!" Noriko grunted in exasperation after that last one saw himself out. "I'm ready to pull out my hair!"

"Easy," Touma chuckled, passing her a chilled soda. "It's almost over."

"How many do we have left?"

He glanced down at a slip of paper listing a number of crossed out names. "Just the one. And he should be arriving right about-"

_*buzz!*_

"-Now," Touma smiled.

Noriko heaved a greatly exaggerated sigh, stealing a few swallows from her soda on her way to the front door.

Touma Seguchi tried not to stare at what followed her back into his living room. The man was sex incarnate. Mid-twenties, with a lithe build and fluid posture. Smooth, vanilla-coffee colored skin. Eyes a dark blue shade that, when the light fell across them just right, shone almost amethyst in color. And a quirky smile that could in a crowded plaza draw every gaze to him and him alone.

Something twinged in Touma's heart and, try though he might, he could not ignore it.

He cleared his throat, "This will be a very informal audition. All we need from you today is to hear how you sound."

That quirky little grin returned, and the beautiful stranger spoke in a velvety tenor voice. "Aren't you even going to ask my name first?"

Sitting upon the arm of his sofa, Noriko quipped, "Oh, I'm sorry. I never knew poster boys came with their own names."

"But rent girls do?" The man shot back without missing a beat. "Introductions first; that's the rule."

She giggled, "You sound such the child."

"And why shouldn't I," he challenged, stepping past the grand piano to gaze upon Touma's violin in its glass case. "Children have all the fun, anyway."

"Her name is Noriko Ukai," Touma provided, feeling uneasy to find his abandoned instrument under such fierce speculation. "I am Touma Seguchi."

Those piercingly blue eyes left his violin, but turned his way and fixed him with their burning gaze. "Ryuichi Sakuma," the other finally answered. "Nice to meet you… Touma."

His name falling from between those lips was in likeness to the murmuring of a secret lover's confession. Inevitably, the sound of it sent a thrill up the blond's spine which he tried his very hardest to dispel. "Have you brought any music with you, Mister Sakuma, or would you rather sing _a cappella_?"

"Ryuichi." He produced a cassette from his back pocket, "Got somewhere I can stick this?"

Giggling at the man's choice of words, Noriko stood and plucked the thing from his hand. Crossing the room, she pulled open the glass door to Touma's modestly displayed stereo center. She slipped the cassette into the player, turning the volume to a level which would be clearly heard without drowning out the accompanying vocals.

As soon as it had begun to play, Touma's heart did a double-jump. Though he had never before heard its music, which had supposedly been mixed together by Sakuma himself, the blond could almost swear he recognized the underlying melody. He briefly closed his eyes as he listened, trying to recall why it felt so familiar.

That was when Sakuma began to sing.

"_With eyes glittering in the distance/ Those about to awaken me are waiting/ Invited to the night castle/ Into the empty shell of transient dwellers/ Without an exit._"

Touma's eyes flew open, his heart now racing as he discovered the young man focusing his fierce gaze upon him as he sang. All the world darkened and seemed to disappear, leaving only to two of them. The performer, and his one-man audience.

"_If you mean to endure the shock/ To the point of crumbling/ show me the lies!_"

Fast and passionate. That was how Sakuma sang. The song itself was still lacking, its sound needing a filler-tempo to even out its rhythm. But the vocals were raw and savage, demanding to be heard and understood.

"_The light I still can't reach and where it's gone/ Let's sketch out the brilliantly dancing thoughts/ So that the guiding words do not spill over/ Don't fear the changing times/ Without even an exit-_"

Noriko chose then to cut the song short, and the world abruptly fell back into focus. Touma shook his head, trying to clear it as the sound of his friend's clapping reached his ringing ears. "Wow," she praised, drawing their attention back to the task at hand. "You're the best we've heard all day."

There came a sudden but quiet knock upon the front door. She went to answer it, then came back with an apologetic look on her face. "My husband. Dinner with the in-laws."

Touma forced himself back into the moment, rising to his feet and coming over. "Forgive me, Noriko. I didn't mean to keep you so long."

"We're in this together, remember? Tell you what, though," she added in a stage whisper. "I really like the way that guy sounded. And with him, we might actually have found that style we've been searching for."

"Haven't your mother ever told you," Sakuma's voice cut in as he approached them. "It's rude to talk about someone in the third person when that someone is in the same room."

"You're kidding," she giggled.

He tossed her a raspberry. "Now you're making fun of me. And here I thought we were gettin' to be such good friends."

Somehow, Touma reclaimed his voice. "Are you leaving as well, Mister Sakuma?"

"Ryuichi," the man corrected again with a slow grin. "And yes. Sorry, but Miss Noriko isn't the only one with someone important waiting at home. Here," he added, pressing a slip of paper into Touma's good hand. "My number. I hope you were serious about likin' what you heard." Then, with not so much as a second glance, he walked out of the apartment.

"Good thing we're both taken," Noriko sighed after he had gone. "We'd be fighting over who'd get to call dibs over an ass like his."

Chuckling softly, Touma kindly saw her out of his apartment and closed the door behind her. He then turned and leaned his back against the door, loath to end the day's distraction. Quickly, before the maddening thoughts in the back of his mind could push to the fore, he glanced down at the paper in his hand. And immediately felt his heart grow cold behind his lungs.

"_Nice violin. Paganini would be proud._

_555-0809."_

~o~

"_I really miss you, Q."_

_He offered a gentle smile as he shifted through his paperwork. "I miss you, too," he spoke into his earpiece. "But I certainly hope you aren't keeping yourself from enjoying the trip. What have you seen so far?"_

"_Everything!" The other answered excitedly. "And tomorrow, Wuffie's taking me biking through the mountains."_

"_That sounds a little tame, coming from you."_

"_Actually, I owe him for going through with the bungee jumping this morning."_

_He laughed, "Just promise me you're being careful. I'd like very much for my lover to come home in one piece, if it isn't asking too much."_

"_Don't I make enough promises for you? Anyway, Wu gave his word. And believe me, he's doin' everything under the sun to keep from breakin' it."_

~o~

Touma awoke with a start, gasping for air as he fought against his covers that he might sit upright. Another forbidden memory, bubbling up to the surface.

He glanced over at his nightstand, upon which rested the slip of paper with its innocent yet disturbing praise. Twelve days had passed since that day, and still he had to wonder. How had someone so carefree and… _wildly_ fierce, been able to tell with a glance that his most prized violin had been a Paganini replica?

And the tone in which that little note had been written - complimentary, of course, but with its own hint of cockiness. Even the handwriting itself, which he thought he might recognize if he could get his head on straight, had boasted a certain bit of self-assuredness.

More and more, the puzzle that was Ryuichi Sakuma continued to bury him under its many pieces.

~o~

_(one month later)_

"I can't believe it."

He tried to offer Noriko a small smile, flexing his newly-mended hand as he sat down in his chair. "I did try to warn you."

"But N-G was supposed to be the very best opportunity for us. They have a reputation for taking in new talent; why wouldn't they give us our chance?"

"Hello!"

They both looked up as Ryuichi Sakuma let himself in. The suave yet energetic brunet sauntered across the room, his quirky grin ever in place. By now, they had both gotten used to the way he would often show up in the most unexpected but convenient moments. Even Noriko had begun to respect that somewhere behind his childishness lay a deceptively sharp mind and a passion for their music.

"I think I heard enough to guess what's going on." He deduced, "They didn't like our sound?"

"No," Touma shook his head.

"Where _were_ you?" Noriko asked the brunet, scooting along the sofa to allow him room to sit. "Why couldn't you have come with us today?"

"Didn't I call and tell you I couldn't make it?" Sakuma pouted, cocking his head curiously. "That I had a prior appointment?"

"Sure," she nodded. "But you never said what that was."

"Ah," he smirked, falling comfortably back against the cushions of the sofa. "Why didn't you say so? I met with my doctor. Nothing more."

"Doctor?" Touma wondered, reluctantly concerned. "Are you unwell?"

Sakuma seemed to think about it, but finally shook his head. "No. Not in the way you mean, anyway. I was in an accident, a couple years back. The doctor's just to help me down the road to recovery. Physical therapy, that kind of thing."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Noriko declared, clapping a hand over her mouth. "What happened?"

Touma was suddenly wondering the same thing.

"Nothing to lose your pretty head over," Sakuma assured, smirk still in place. "I try to put it behind me; no reason you shouldn't, too. Now, c'mon," he added, changing the subject. "Tell me what happened with you guys."

"We were shafted," Touma replied. "They wouldn't even bother listening to our sample disc."

Noriko nodded, dropping her hand again. "Somehow, I don't believe N-G is living up to its reputation."

"N-G?" Sakuma shrugged, "That's easily explainable. It was in all the papers; their staff took on a new president. The guy's trying to refocus their standards, so that only the very best would ever receive contracts."

"Well, that doesn't seem fair. How will they ever find out who that is, if they're not willing to try anybody?"

"That's easy, too. Touma can buy them out. Then they'd pretty much have to do as he wants."

The aforementioned blond, who had been idly rummaging through their portfolio, looked sharply up at the suggestion. "Excuse me?"

Noriko suddenly gave a burst of giggles. "_Touma_? He's got people, sure, but there's no way he'd have that kind of money."

Feeling backed into a corner, he cleared his throat. "Actually…"

The woman stared, "You're _kidding_."

Touma Seguchi shook his head with a hesitant smile. "I'm afraid not. My father was quite the entrepreneur. But I have always believed that one must work for what they earn," he added, with a hard look directed at Sakuma. "I only ever pinch from that money in an emergency."

The brunet received the warning, and grinned in the face of it.

Noriko, oblivious, protested immediately. She was convinced that it was a clever enough idea. And after several minutes of listening to her argument, Touma finally agreed that he would see what he could do, but that it would likely take some time in putting it to effect. Some minutes later, Noriko bade them farewell and returned to her own apartment across the hall.

Which left Touma alone with Sakuma. As often as he had fought to prevent that very thing, this time Touma found the situation very convenient indeed.

"How did you know?"

"What?"

"About my inheritance," he clarified. "How did you know?"

The lithe brunet gave that same quirky grin as he spread his arms over the back of the sofa. "My little secret."

"I don't appreciate that you knew something about myself that I've been hiding from my closest friends," Touma warned, coming over to stand before him. "And I don't like that you flaunted something like that for your own personal gain."

"Yours, too," the other reminded. "Oh, and you make a lousy liar, by the way."

"I'm sorry?"

"You should be," Sakuma retorted with another grin. "Calling people like Noriko your closest friends, when I can name about four others you'd been known to trust a great deal more of yourself to."

Touma's blood froze in his veins. Very quietly, he demanded, "Where are you getting such information?"

"You insult me, Q." The other lifted his head, piercing him with those amethyst/blue eyes as his voice dropped two octaves, "Since when have I ever needed help trackin' down my info?"

His perception of the world around him abruptly shattered, and the pieces fell into place for Touma at last. Heart racing, he stared at the man reclining on his sofa, daring only one word.

"D-Duo…?"

The brunet's grin softened, and his voice returned to normal as he began to sing in slow verse. "It crumbles apart/ You've been reborn/ Your eyes light up without a smile."

"Even if the world you want suddenly turns to ashes," Touma whispered, scalding tears brimming in his eyes. "There will be miracles…"

"You've gotten better. I remember when I could compare your singing to-"

"A screeching cat on a fence," he finished. With a disbelieving shake of his head, he fell to the sofa, pulling himself into the singer's embrace. Burying his face into the brunet's shoulder, he began whispering a mantra of I'm-sorry's.

He felt the other's hands run along his spine, in an achingly familiar soothing manner. "Stop apologizing. You know I hate it when you start feeling guilty over nothing."

"This isn't nothing." Touma lifted his head, "I thought… I let myself believe…"

"Exactly what I wanted you to," the other smiled. "Listen to me, and I'll tell you what really happened. When my bike slipped and I fell off that cliff, it was all I could do to keep myself from leaving this world for real. But there were a helluva lot of rocks down that slide, and I couldn't protect myself from all of them. I was a mess when they found me, Q. I could barely manage consciousness, but I vaguely remember that even Wuffie had to turn away from the sight of me to keep from getting sick."

"W-what?"

"Q…" He sighed, "There was barely anything of me left. I'm surprised they didn't just give up on me, right there on the spot. Wu wouldn't hear of it, of course. Thanks to him, they got me to that hospital and kept me in intensive care for - Hell, I don't know _how_ long; I kept blacking out. When they finally got me stabilized, Wu asked whether I'd like to change my mind about letting you know about my survival." He paused, brushing his thumb across the blond's cheek, catching a wet tear and sweeping it away. "I am sorry, I hope you can understand that. But I looked nothing like the man you fell in love with. And my feelings for you are too great to have let you see me like that. Wuffie felt really guilty; he felt like he'd broken his promise to look out for me. He wanted to make it up to you, to the both of us, but he didn't know how. When he realized that I was planning to disappear forever rather than return to you scarred, he finally came to a decision and made me an offer."

"And… What was that?"

"Surgical reconstruction. A damn good lot of it, too. Took twenty-eight months, and nearly a third of Wu's ancestral inheritance, but… Here I am."


	4. Remember

**Title:** Tainted Gold

**By:** Aina Song

**Fandom(s):** Gundam Wing/Gravitation

**Genre:** Yaoi

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warning(s):** Language; Angst; Saap; Song Lyrics; Rumored Death; Slight OOC.

**Pairing(s):** To be revealed as story develops. (Trust me, you'll appreciate it better that way.)

**Reviews:** Yes, please.

**Author's Note:** Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money.

**Teaser:** The pain of broken promises is not so easily mended…

**Chapter Four - Remember**

Quatre Raberba Winner was silent for a long moment, before leaning forth to finally meet that mouth with his own. The other captured the front of his shirt, keeping him there as their tongues entwined. When reluctantly they parted, the blond shook his head in amazement. "It seems I shall owe Wufei an apology."

"At least," Duo Maxwell agreed with an easy smile.

He shifted back against the opposite arm of the sofa, pulling his lover with him so that the brunet was sitting quite comfortably on his lap. Reaching up, he ran his fingers through the other's very short honey-chocolate strands. "You cut your hair…"

"Kinda had to. They couldn't reach the back of my skull, otherwise."

"I miss the braid."

"Me too," Duo confessed. He tilted his face into the other's palm, closing his eyes with a contented sigh at the gentle touch. "My reason for it never died, but I think what I miss the most about it is when you used to work it loose just so I wouldn't get a headache trying to sleep with it at night. You really loved me, didn't you."

Quatre's hand stilled, and his heart missed a beat. "I've never stopped loving you, Duo."

"Q, I know more than you're lettin' on." Sighing, the other opened his eyes and pinned the blond under his gaze. "You're married now."

"Yes," he admitted. "But it is a marriage of circumstance. Mika knows I can never love her. As you can see, we don't even share the same residence."

"But you seem so hung up on her and that kid brother of hers." Duo bit his lip, glancing away, "And you promised her-"

"A child," the blond softly finished. "But through artificial insemination only. I've never once touched her that way, and I don't intend to." He sighed, "And as for Eiri. I don't feel it's my place to tell you the entire story, but… I feel responsible for him. Protective. If I think about it, it's very close to how I used to feel about Trowa."

Eyes widening, Duo turned his head to stare at him. He had learned firsthand that their French companion had never been competition for Quatre's heart, that the blond Arabian was more than able to care for one and devote his deepest love to another. "Are you sure?"

"Duo," the other smiled. "I have and will always belong only to you."

The brunet grinned and threw himself into the blond's embrace. Quatre was all too willing to accept him, crushing their mouths together in a kiss even more passionate than the last. Their tongues danced and entwined in a heated battle for dominance in which Quatre was the victor. Without breaking their kiss, he pulled the other with him down from the sofa. Duo released a soft breath as his back connected with the carpeted floor, which gave voice into a low whimper when the blond lowered the length of his body atop him and let Duo feel the proof of his arousal.

Quatre lifted his head, staring down at his lover with quiet concern. "Duo. If you're not sure… It _has_ been a while, and-"

"It's been forever," he moaned. He reached with both hands, running his fingers through blond strands which once upon a time had been tawny curls. "Please, Q. Don't make me beg you for it."

Shared longing flashed across his eyes, and Quatre captured that mouth once again. With a heated breath he ran his mouth down his lover's jaw and skimmed his kisses lower. Duo gasped as those teeth nibbled along the side of his throat, his back arching into the body above him. Quatre gave a low guttural growl, grinding his hips down to meet that friction with equal fervor. They moved together, wonderful heat building between them as their mouths clashed again and again.

Unable to wait any longer, Duo slid his hands down the blond's shirtfront and fumbled for the first of its buttons. Quatre paused, digging his palms into the carpet and lifting himself up to allow Duo's hands room to work. The buttons were freed, and Quatre's pale torso was slowly bared. When only three or four buttons remained, Duo slipped his hands into the opening he had created and at last touched the man above him. Quatre sucked in a hiss of breath, his aqua-blue eyes clouding over at the burning feel of those fingertips against his skin. Duo glanced up, wondering, and the blond lowered his gaze to pin his lover with a look of heat and hunger.

"Don't stop…"

With a half-smile, the brunet let his fingers roam along the familiar torso and ghost over the strong flat stomach. The lithe muscles under Quatre's skin quivered slightly in reflex, as it had indeed been so long since he had allowed himself any sort of personal contact.

And that was when his telephone rang.

Quatre turned his head in its direction with a very uncharacteristic scowl, and Duo dropped his hands to his sides with a disbelieving chuckle. "Answer it."

The blond stared down at his lover, but smiled in finding the look of challenge in those blue-amethyst eyes. "You want me to interrupt this, for that?"

Duo nodded, half-smirk in place.

Quirking a slim golden eyebrow, he kissed the brunet, growling "Stay" against the other's lips before rising and walking toward the dining room.

Duo Maxwell lay there for a grand total of two seconds, before his grin widened and a dark gleam shone in his eyes. Quickly rolling to his stomach, he clambered to his feet and raced for the front door, quietly locking it before the blond could even reach the phone.

Quatre's back was still turned when he picked up the receiver, trying very hard to sound patient as he answered, "Hello?"

It was his lead informant. "Mister Seguchi, please excuse me if I've interrupted anything."

"Oh, he hasn't," Duo's voice whispered into his other ear from behind. His arms snaked around Quatre's middle, letting his hands slip into the blond's mostly-opened shirt to touch again the skin beneath. "Has he."

Quatre hissed a silent breath between his teeth, as the fire in his veins which had not yet died was immediately rekindled. Duo lightly nibbled at the juncture of the blond's throat, causing a shiver to climb up Quatre's spine, then he spun the other around and pushed him up against the wall. Quatre gave a low grunt as his back hit the wall behind him.

"Mister Seguchi?"

"No, you haven't interrupted," he quickly spoke into the receiver. "But I was just about to step out, so if you wouldn't mind I would appreciate it if you'd call back tomorrow."

Duo smirked as his hands slid down to the button of the blond's jeans. "You sure you won't be busy tomorrow, too," he asked with a whisper, lowering himself down upon his knees.

Quatre's next breath caught in his throat and the back of his head thumped against the wall.

"Are you all right, sir?" The voice on the other end of the line demanded in concern. "Mister Seguchi? Did something happen?"

Duo's mouth was a slick cavern that enveloped him in its wet warmth like a cobra swallowing its prey whole. The brunet was proving himself a very… _insistent_ distraction. With a gasp for air, Quatre put all his concentration on the conversation at hand. "It appears I have just enough time after all. Please state your reason for calling, but make it quick."

Below his navel, Duo chuckled, the sensation pulsing along his length. Quatre's free hand flew down, his fingers twining in those honey-chocolate strands. "Faster," he breathed.

"Sir?"

"You're taking too long," he spoke into the receiver, very swiftly losing his control and wishing to end one distraction that he might devote his attention to another. "Speak faster and tell me why you've called. I don't have - _uhn_ - much longer to spare."

"Sir? What happened?"

"Stubbed a toe looking for my briefcase," he fabricated.

His lover looked up, replacing his mouth with his hand. "I only sucked your toe, that once," he argued, smirking. "But I remember it drove you crazy."

Quatre held the phone far from his head, muttering under his breath, "_You'd_ go crazy as well, if your lover had kept his other hand busy exploring beneath _your_ scrotum…"

"He did," Duo reminded. "Payback. I suffered for hours." He quickened his hand.

The new friction caused him to flinch, his head hitting the wall again. This time he left it there, quietly panting for breath, barely able to catch the voice on the other line as he returned the phone to his ear.

"We haven't been able to reach a conclusion about that report you asked of us, sir. I apologize."

"R-report?" Quatre struggled to remember the last assignment he had required of his informants, but the delicious friction was growing steadily faster, shattering his concentration.

"Me," Duo whispered helpfully. "You had them tailing after my ass for the past two months." He then returned his attention and his mouth to what he had been doing.

"_Ooh_, yes," the blond breathed. "_Mm_-My apologies for not notifying you sooner, but my reasons for that search have _ah_-ready been resolved. Please inform the others, and extend to them my th-_hey_-anks."

The brunet chuckled as his blond lover finally hung up and replaced the phone to its hook. "Were those noises for my benefit, or for his?"

Quatre's aqua-blue eyes darkened with much passion, and he gave Duo a very dangerous look. "I'll owe you for this. You realize that."

"Then I'd better make the best of what I've got," he answered, before promptly swallowing Quatre whole.

The blond gave a sharp cry, bringing his other hand to join the first in capturing the back of his lover's head. Duo's mouth worked him eagerly, and Quatre moaned as he felt a pool of heat gathering toward his groin. He was close, so close… Then Duo's hand squeezed him and twisted, and that was it.

Quatre was left panting long minutes after Duo had pulled away, licking his lips like a kitten that had found the milk dish. The brunet slowly stood, leaving heated kisses up his lover's stomach and heaving chest until finally he reached the other's mouth. Quatre growled low in his throat as that tongue teased at his own, and his body came alive again. Capturing his lover in his arms, the blond pulled Duo close and devoured the insides of that talented mouth, knowing some satisfaction when he felt the singer tremble against him.

He maneuvered their positions until it was Duo's back that hit the wall, and then swiftly turned the other around so that the brunet had to catch the wall with his hands to keep from colliding into it a second time. Quatre reached around his lover's hips, unfastening the tight jeans and tearing them down to Duo's ankles.

"Tell me how you want it," he growled into the other's ear.

A noise escaped the brunet's throat as the keyboardist pressed his length against him. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already," Duo moaned, turning his head back to give his lover a fiery glance. "C'mon, Q. Bruise me."

Never one to disappoint, Quatre shoved all the way in with one great thrust. Duo arched his back with a loud cry, but the blond only gave his lover a moment to recover before moving his hips back and forth in a steadily increasing rhythm. Soon Duo was begging Quatre's name as the other fucked him harder and faster, his thrusts shoving the brunet up against the wall. The cold hardness against him proved torturous friction for his own neglected member, nearly rubbing him raw with the ferocity of their joining.

Quatre dug his fingers into Duo's hips, bringing the brunet down hard to meet his thrusts, latching his teeth onto the juncture of Duo's shoulder as his second climax escaped him. Duo screamed at the sudden pain, the hot seed pushing up against his prostate ripping a shuddering release from him which coated between his stomach and the wall.

~o~

Long minutes later, both were nude and lying comfortably together in Quatre's bed. Duo rested his head upon his lover's chest with a contented sigh, as the blond's fingers gently stroked along his spine.

"There's not a mark on you," Quatre whispered in wonder, unable to keep from marveling at the smooth skin under his touch. "Even your scars from the war have gone…"

"The miracle of medical science," Duo shrugged drowsily. He yawned, cuddling further into the blond's chest. "I didn't want you to recognize me before I was ready to let you know the truth."

"And in which scenario might I have stumbled upon you without your shirt on?"

"I dunno. 'Sides, I like me like this."

"So do I," Quatre assured. "Now I understand what you meant by 'physical therapy'."

"Yeah."

"I _am_ sorry, you know. Somehow, I feel I should've gone with you. If I had been there-"

"No," Duo quietly insisted. "I told you. The only good thing about that accident was that you weren't there to see what it did to me."

Quatre decided not to upset his lover by arguing that point. "How often do you have the therapy?"

"I'm down to two, every third week."

"How much longer?"

"I go in for another examination next month. Doc'll tell me then."

The blond fell silent, thinking that over and accepting its necessity. He let his fingers continue to trail along his lover's spine for several more minutes, until a sudden thought bubbled up to the surface. "Duo?"

"_Mm_… Mm-hmm?"

A soft smile tugged at his mouth to discover that the brunet was swiftly falling asleep. "Mind if I ask you something while you're still awake to answer?"

A great breath expanded the other's lungs, and Duo sighed, "What is it?"

"When I first met you as Sakuma-

"Ryuichi."

His smile softened further. "Ryuichi, then. As you left after your audition, you said something about having someone important waiting for you at home. Who did you mean, or had that been made up as well?"

"I never lie, Q," the other murmured. "You remember that pink plush bunny you gave me our last Christmas together?"

This surprised a soft chuckle from the blond. "Kumagoro? That was who you meant?"

"Uh-huh. Good ol' Mr. Bear." He shifted a bit, turning his head over and settling once more against Quatre's chest as sleep finally began to claim him. "Remind me not to forget him when I move in with you, huh?"

True happiness, such as he had not felt in so long, blossomed within his chest. He held his lover closer.

"I'll remember."


	5. Epilogue -- Hear This!

Title:** Tainted Gold**

**By:** Aina Song

**Fandom(s):** Gundam Wing/Gravitation

**Genre:** Yaoi

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warning(s):** Language; Angst; Saap; Song Lyrics; Rumored Death; Slight OOC.

**Pairing(s):** To be revealed as story develops. (Trust me, you'll appreciate it better that way.)

**Reviews:** Yes, please.

**Author's Note:** Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money.

**Teaser:** The pain of broken promises is not so easily mended…

**Epilogue - Hear This!**

_(some months later)_

After much work and effort, Nittle Grasper had at last sold their first album. Noriko had congratulated her fellow band members, then apologized for not staying, as she'd had plans to celebrate with her husband. Which left the other two sitting alone on their living room floor.

Ryuichi Sakuma took up a thick gift box from beside his thigh, passing it forth. "Here. From me and Mister Bear."

"I'll be sure to thank him," Touma Seguchi smiled, slipping the ribbon free. Removing the box's lid, he let a fond chuckle escape as he lifted up a dark coat lined with grey fur**(1)**. Still chuckling, he twisted it behind his back and slipped it on, laughing aloud as he donned the matching hat that fell to the floor from within the folds of the coat. It was only by glancing down at the box a second time that he found there was also a hardback copy of _The Little Prince_, by Antoine Saint-Exupery. "Now, _this_ brings back some memories," he smiled, taking the book in hand. "Wherever did you find it?"

"Look inside the cover."

Curious, he opened the book and stared at the inked scrawling upon the center of the otherwise blank first page:

"_I know we're just gettin' started, but I don't wanna wait until later to say it. I love you, Q. Duo."_

Finally understanding why he had thought he'd recognized Ryuichi's handwriting some months back, Touma let his eyes absorb the letter. He'd read these words before, when they had been two ex-pilots who'd only been dating for a number of weeks. Which would mean… "This is the exact same copy, isn't it."

"Only the best for my Touma," Ryuichi nodded importantly, crushing his stuffed bunny against him in an impromptu embrace. "I meant it, you know. And I mean it now, too."

Touma carefully set the book and its box upon the sofa behind them, reaching until he found the smaller box which contained his gift to Ryuichi. Bringing it down, he handed it over and could not resist a slow smile as the other eagerly tore at the not-so-expensive wrapping paper. He, better than anyone, understood that his brunet lover would never have the patience to peel the paper away like some candy wrapper.

Ryuichi's fingers trembled as he lifted the gold chain from its small box. From it dangled a small rectangular pendant, upon which had been engraved the outline of a Catholic crucifix**(2)**. His blue-amethyst eyes brimming, Ryuichi looked up to stare at his lover.

"It's a locket," Touma softly revealed, leaning over and flicking loose the hidden latch.

The pendant popped open, and the brunet's next breath caught in his throat. A single drop of hot wetness dripped to his palm, and Ryuichi absently rubbed the rest of the tears from his eyes to better see the secret within the golden box locket.

It was a photograph, no bigger than the pad of his thumb. A blond Arabian was smiling back at him, garbed in his usual desert clothes with his beloved goggles hanging from around his neck. And he was not alone. A pair of arms had grabbed him from behind, and an L2 street rat was laughing at whoever had held the camera. Manic grin, deep amethyst eyes alight with mischief. A long, thick braid of honey-chocolate falling over his shoulder as he embraced the blond prince in his arms.

"Q…"

Touma's smile grew gentle as he took the locket from his lover's fingers and reached to carefully fasten it around Ryuichi's neck. "This is to remind you. I have never - _will_ never forget my love for the pilot inside the singer." He softly kissed the other's mouth as he pulled away. " 'Take me as I am,' remember? That doesn't change with your name."

"Yeah," Ryuichi gruffly agreed, bringing his hand up to catch his new treasure within the circle of his fingers. Slowly, a new smile broke through his tears. "Yeah. Damn right, Q! And don't you forget it!"

~o~

Halfway across the globe, one Preventer's office door swung open as a mail-girl peeked in. "You have a package, Mister Chang. Is now a good time, or should I bring it later?"

He shook his head, "I'll receive it now." When the small manila envelope was placed atop his desk, he took one look at the return address and waited until the young woman had left before opening it.

There was an enveloped letter, and a CD. Wufei stared at its cover, which portrayed a purple-haired woman standing alongside his two missing companions. Quickly, he opened the enclosed letter, a much-relieved smile crossing his mouth as he read what had been written:

"_Hey, Wuffie! Look - I found him! We're together again, and we're who we always wanted to be. Keep the CD - it's sort of an apology from Q. The sales there for it don't start for another three months, but we wanted you and the others to enjoy our success early. Hee-kun__**(3)**__ and Tro will get their copies by the end of the week. Get the guys together and come visit us sometime. We dropped our pasts, sure, but that doesn't mean we can't make some 'new' friends. Ryuichi."_

~o~

Somewhere in Tokyo, in a popular music store, another copy of Nittle Grasper's first album rested in the hands of a junior high track star. His soft purple eyes skimmed down the list of songs on the back of the case, and he selected one from the automated example player. After several seconds, he grinned and turned his head, dark pink strands flying about with the movement.

"Hey Hiro, come here! You gotta hear this!"

1) It's just that this coat _really_ seems to be his favorite, so I thought I'd introduce it. Yep, this is how I say his fashion sense got started. Maybe they were all gifts from Ryu…

2) If you watch Ryuichi while he performs as closely as I have - _*drool*_ - you'll find at least two occasions in which he wears this pendant. One in a music video, and the other… I can't remember, but it's in there. Really.

3) Okay. I'm going to walk you through this one. Duo's popular nickname for Heero tends to be "Hee-chan," right? That just goes to show how popular a mistake can be. I'm sorry to all those that have put this phrase to use, myself included, but the _-chan_ suffix is actuality meant for a _female_ companion. And Heero is _anything_ but female. (Unless he's hiding a secret even those spandex can't reveal…) The _correct_ suffix - for a _male_ companion - is _-kun_. I know I'm going meet a lot of contradiction with this one - I don't speak a word of Japanese - but it's in the damned dictionary. Look it up. Any flames directed toward this tidbit will be hung by their toes with their genitals flying.

**The End**

**Ending Note:** Maybe Quatre/Touma _was_ a bit OOC, but I decided to go with it and see where it led. And tell me I wasn't the only one who liked the idea of a loving but dominant Quatre. Anybody? Ah, well. This was just my warped idea for a backstory for both Ryuichi Sakuma and Touma Seguchi, and I couldn't resist throwing a little GW into the mix. Bye!


End file.
